Children’s literature – Page 5

How to show who you are in a bio

Published on June 9, 2016June 8, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell27 Comments

What does your “about” page tell your readers?

I’m terrible at writing a bio. And it seems every publication, website or blurb wants one a little different. I probably have at least 10 or more saved to “adjust” for the next one.

Too many times, my bio reads like dry toast. All crunchy, tasteless and bland. However, I do try to smear on a little honey or jam to make it more palatable.

Today I read a post about writing bios that made me smile.

I’m not sure I would apply this for a professional bio but it did give me pause. The author is reminding us not to take ourselves too seriously and to let our readers get to know us. After all, no one wants to be friends with dry toast.

But I do think her suggestion goes a long way on an about page or post. So in the spirit of getting to know each other better here goes.

I know…

I couldn’t run a mile if my life depended on it. I hate exercise. The bad guy would get me for sure.
I love country music. Texas Two Step is in my blood. And whoever said “dancing was foreplay,” knew what they were talking about.
I love a good book but couldn’t tell you which genre is my favorite. However, if I want to fall asleep fast, non-fiction will do the job.
I love bubble baths but rarely take the time to enjoy one. Showers are faster.
My husband is my biggest fan and even after 5 decades that man can turn me on with a look. And Lord help me if he gets close enough to kiss my neck.
I’m a writer. Never thought I’d write children’s books, but surprise!
The more I learn about writing and blogging, the little I know. Sometimes I feel real dumb.
I grew up in the South and learned to never discuss politics with friends, but this year it’s been hard to keep my mouth shut.
I enjoy a good dirty martini or a cold Miller Lite, depends on my mood.

So there you have it. A bit of my heart and soul revealed to you. Nothing about me being an amazing writer or the failure of “Big Publishers” to pick up on my genius. No just a little glimpse of me.

If you’d like to read the post that prompted me to share, the link is at the bottom.

Now it’s your turn.

Give one tidbit about yourself in the comments.

Click to write me or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdelland Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

Please remember share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

A Dead Simple Way to Write a Creative Bio

Want to know what goes great with your morning coffee?

Published on June 3, 2016June 2, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

A wonderful review, that’s what!

Absolutely nothing goes better with coffee.

Yes, waking to a text and email, from Reader’s Review notifying me of a 5 Star review, was better than pancakes.

Be sure and click on the above image to read the review. She’s now available on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. com.

Now back to work on the next book.

I’d love to hear from you!

Click to write me or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdelland Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

Please remember share this post with your Twitter peeps andFacebook fans.

Did you know it only takes one?

Published on May 24, 2016May 24, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell7 Comments

One ISBN.

That’s right, one ISBN to print with IngramSpark and CreateSpace.

We all want our books available in as many places as possible but if the same paperback book has more than one ISBN, it can become confusing.

There is an order to this madness. And steps you can take to stay sane as you wade through the swamp of self-publishing.

First, purchase your ISBN number from Bowker.

Yes, it costs to buy your own ISBN but you retain more control. Consider buying in bulk rather than one at a time. I found it cheaper to go that route. The numbers never expire and they are yours to use for future books.

Second publish your book with IngramSpark (Lightening Source) first.

This is very important. You must publish with them before CreateSpace.

Third, register log onto Bowker and register your book title which connects the ISBN to the publication.

Registering your book title is super important, don’t skip this step.

Last upload your book via Createspace.

At the ISBN page, choose “provide own ISBN.”

screenshot isbn

That’s it! Your book will now be available through both IngramSpark and Amazon.com (CreateSpace) but the book will have the same ISBN number.

Why is this important?

Whether your Aunt Tilly orders it from Amazon or your local library orders a copy through IngramSpark for their shelves, the ISBN is the same.

I’ve not decided it this is important for ebooks yet.

What do you think? Do you think it’s important to own the ISBN for ebooks as well as print books?

Talk to me, the lights on and comments are now open.

For more information about ISBNs click on the article at the bottom.

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdelland Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

And One ISBN Shall Bind Them…. by Amy Collins

Want to know which program to steer clear of?

Published on May 23, 2016May 20, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell20 Comments

KKBC, Kindle Kids’ Book Creator.

Well, that’s my opinion anyway.

Okay, I’ve told y’all many times how hard-headed I can be. So this post will come as no surprise, that even after reading the pros and cons of the new Kindle Kids’ Book Creator software, I still decided to give it a try. God I’m nuts!

To the readers which received an advance ecopy to review, I humbly apologize if you were unable to open the .mobi document.

I should have saved myself the trouble. Other than it being another software to use, trust me, it’s not worth the hassle.

screenshot_Thu_May_19_16.24.06

It’s a lot of hard work for little return. Kind of like eating crawdads. After dinner, you wonder why you didn’t just go ahead and order a damn lobster.

Okay, enough bellyaching. Here is why after the hard work, cussing, and crying I ended up with a product that is very limited.

I will have to publish another Kindle version through CreateSpace.

Why? Because Kindle Kids’ Book Creator files are huge and this limits the price you can charge for an ebook. Another thing it only allows certain devices to download the book. Yep, you heard right. Not all Kindle devices will be able to buy the book. That is why I will release another one through Createspace.

It took me 10 tries to get this small picture book to look right. Sigh. Can anyone say crawdads?

I could’ve published a couple of ebooks in the time I wasted playing with this program.

Although I had queried, searched and read everything I could get my hands on about this program, still I went forward.

Never again. For the future, I will use PagePlus to design the book, produce it in a PDF with Nitro10, and load it straight to IngramSpark and Createspace.

Bottom line, this is a no go for me. I won’t be using KKBC again.

Talk to me, the lights on and comments are now open.

Go to the bottom of this post and see what other writers had to say about KKBC.

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdelland Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.